Reader Nancy has shared much of her home with us in the past — most recently the interior and exterior of her newly constructed retro inspired pool house. This impressive before-and-after is in Nancy’s main house — where she restored her original aqua St. Charles metal cabinets and, to dial up the playfulness, added lots more red. There’s just something so… cheerful… about this color combination.
Nancy’s retro kitchen renovation — BEFORE:
Nancy writes:
We LOVE our kitchen!! I feel like our granddaughter spent the first 2 years of her life on the large island in her bouncer! The kitchen is so nice & roomy that all of the family can cook in there together! We love having theme meals with everyone in charge of something. To me that is what a kitchen is all about. The person that said the kitchen is the heart of the home got it right! I also think the original colors that were selected for the kitchen are very beautiful.
The original St. Charles metal cabinets were painted light aqua and dark aqua, and we used the bottom of the drawers to repeat those same colors once they had been cleaned (with the age and all the light in the kitchen our original colors had faded).
Nancy’s retro kitchen renovation — AFTER:
The original flooring was the asbestos, off white tile that was very much in need of being replaced. I love color, so had to add some to the floor to make it easier to clean. We chose Azrock by Tarkett. If it works for Pam, I thought it would work for us, and it has! The colors: The checkerboard is made from “red pepper” and “cloud white”, with a black “midnight” border.
The original counter top was the ivory linen formica that really was in pretty good shape for the age. But, since everything was being pulled out we decided on Arborite, and the color is Red Xabia. The edging is from New York Metal (as per the resource list from Pam).
The ovens are original and wonderful (maybe more wonderful to look at than use but who cooks that much anymore)!! They are L&H brand which was the earliest Thermador. I had to have them removed and shipped them to Georgia, where they were fitted with modern elements that could be easily repaired. The cooktop is also Thermador. I was able to find some replacement burners on line.
Sinks are the origional Elkay’s and really in amazing shape for their age & use! The faucets were replaced by original owner.
The curtain is from my vintage barkcloth collection.
The fridge is a Re Store find. It is a Northland that Kris built in and made front panels that were painted when he did the cabinets.
Over the cabinets I framed a set of vintage Vera napkins (the blue) and a vintage set of cocktail napkins I got from Etsy.
Our dishes are vintage Red Wing Tampico pattern. I love their unusual shapes, the form is just beautiful! Also, the way they are painted you almost have a summer side and then a fall or winter side. At least I turn them for the seasons.
Kitchen table and chairs are vintage and from our favorite guy- Adam Henderson on Etsy (Dead50sModern).
We have so much natural light that I thought a glass collection would be just the thing to finish off the room. I found these through another very nice Pam on Etsy and just love the beauty they bring to the room!
Thank you, Nancy! Wow, you have completed a lot of work on your house in a relatively short time. Are you done now???
Resource List for Nancy’s Kitchen Remodel
- Flooring: Azrock in red pepper, midnight, and cloud white
- Counter top: Arborite Red Xabia
- Counter top edging: New York Metal
- Vintage L&H oven restoration: Antique Appliances
- Refrigerator: Vintage Northland with custom painted panels
- Dishwasher: Big Chill
- Kitchen table: Dead50sModern on etsy.com
- Accessories: Vintage
Nancy found the raised dog feeders on Etsy — though she doesn’t think they are available anymore.
Her dogs Buster and Betty — who are brother and sister — love the new kitchen.
The combination of color and whimsical accents — like the pirate ship basket on the table above — make Nancy’s kitchen a cheery and fun place to gather. It seems she has thought of every detail — and used both vintage and new pieces to make the retro kitchen of her dreams a reality. Thank you, Nancy for sharing yet another part of your lovely home with us!
Chris says
Nancy — I love both the before AND the after! What a happy place to drink coffee!
I’m in NW GA. Is it ok to ask the general region you are in? (I know we aren’t supposed to be specific.) It’s just fun to see what folks are doing in my home state!
Thanks for sharing your happy, happy kitchen with us! 🙂
Alice says
wow! Cheerful color combo is right. I liked the before picture, but the red touches just warmed it right up….nicely done!
My heart raced when you mentioned you found replacement burners for your Thermador range online. Could you please share the source? I think you and I have the same range and we have burner that is out and I am running in to roadblocks trying to find a replacement…any direction you can point me in will be appreciated.
Did they guy that repainted your cabinets do it in an autobody shop?
Thanks for sharing and for providing so many great details!
Nancy B says
Alice- Thank you for the positive comments! We did love the kitchen before but the color changes make it easier to keep & also very cozy! I found the supplier for the heating elements-RepairClinic.com (1-800-269-2609). They were very helpful! I hope this will help you!
Nancy B says
Alice – Sorry, Kris just took it to his shop- not auto body shop.
Mandy says
Love your kitchen and its sooooo inspiring. We need to replace our kitchen and are constantly looking for ideas and encouragement to be brave with colour. Thanks so much for sharing!
deb says
Love it all!! Thanks for sharing.
Annie B. says
Oh, what a kitchen. It reminds me of clear blue skies and valentines. Every little thing is just perfect.
Is that an aqua Butterprint patterned Pyrex water bowl for B & B?
Nancy B says
Only the best for Buster & Betty!
Jenny A. says
The kitchen turned-out beautifully, but it’s Buster and Betty who stole my heart 😉
Nancy B says
They are really sweet!
The Atomic Mom says
Lovely kitchen … I’d like to see the photos of the family room thru the door way as well. 🙂
Nancy B says
Thank you! That is actually the dining room-
Janet in CT says
Bravo, Nancy! It looks wonderful! So you took out some newer wall ovens? Also noticed that you replaced the Big Chill. Was that because the new fridges stick out so far and are so much deeper? That Northland looks perfect there. I like it when people use older appliances – they so suit the older kitchens. I love everything you did!
Nancy B says
Thank you, Janet. No, the L&H ovens have been the only ovens in that spot. They were not working so we sent them to Georgia to be repaired & updated. The Big Chill was very low & just ate our food. We could not find anything in there. So, we moved it to the pool house & found this Northland which we love.
Jay says
I was going to comment along the same line as Janet. The first picture on the post showed what clearly looked like new wall ovens. An illusion perhaps? The stainless wall ovens are beautiful as well as the rest of the kitchen. You sure have an eye for what works visually. Kudos for restoring the cabinets to their original glory, most people would yank them out. As a collector of colored glass I am envious of your great display area with the light flooding in.
pam kueber says
Nancy had the stainless steel double ovens completely restored a couple of years ago… Link is in the story, I think!
Tracie@MiddleClassModern says
I’m confused as well. In the before picture I see the original ovens, but to the left of them is ( what looks like to me) a newish white wall oven.
Nancy B says
LOL!!!! Shows you I haven’t looked at these photos as closely as you have!! You will love it! I had totally forgotten about this part of the renovation! When we first moved in the built in L&H didn’t work. Construction friends had pulled this double oven out of a home & it worked fine. So, until we could get the L&H units going, we used that built in double oven plopped on the floor in the middle of the kitchen!!
Nancy B says
OMG! As I was reading Jay’s post following yours I went back to look at the photos! And, just like child birth, I had forgotten about having that oven in the middle of the kitchen until we could have the L&H repaired!!
Janet in CT says
Oh so glad to hear that. I thought that I was losing it! When you sent them out for repair, did they rewire them? My husband worries about our old mid-fifties GE, that the wiring may be shot.
Mod Betty / RetroRoadmap.com says
OMG I so love this. I love the happy color combo all over the place! I aspire to have a kitchen (and home) this welcoming and cheerful – c’mon Powerball 🙂
Kelly M says
What’s not to love? Thank you so much for sharing! Just want to sit at that kitchen table and have a cup of tea.